Sanxingdui and the Central Plains: Cultural Exchange Seen from Bronze Ware
The huge number of bronzes unearthed at the Sanxingdui archaeological site has changed archaeologists' understanding of the level of civilization development in Chengdu Plain and even in the southern region. Where is the inspiration for the massive and strangely shaped bronze vessels? What is the connection between the ancient Sanxingdui and the Central Plains region?
In the multi-disciplinary archaeological work of Sanxingdui, the Institute of Science and Technology History and Cultural Heritage of University of Science and Technology Beijing is mainly responsible for the research of metallurgical archaeology. On May 25th, the reporter interviewed Professor Chen Kunlong, who was responsible for the project. He believes that the Sanxingdui bronze ware reflects a trend that is both related to the Central Plains civilization and has its own specific style. This actually confirms that the ancient Shu civilization is an important component of Chinese civilization.
According to current research, ancient Chinese bronze ware has three core characteristics. The main types of artifacts are containers and weapons, and the core components are a ternary alloy system composed of lead, tin, and copper. The casting process is mostly based on mold casting. From this perspective, Chen Kunlong compared the similarities and differences between the Sanxingdui bronze ware and the bronze ware from the Central Plains region.
In fact, the casting method, core components, and some shapes of the Sanxingdui bronze ware are closely related to the Central Plains. "Chen Kunlong said that in terms of processing technology, the bronze ware in Sanxingdui and the Central Plains region is mainly cast using ceramic model casting, and the production techniques of Sanxingdui bronze ware are actually influenced by the Central Plains region.
From the perspective of the composition of bronze ware, the main type of Sanxingdui bronze ware is lead tin bronze, which is consistent with the Central Plains region of the same period.
In addition, from the perspective of vessel type, although the divine trees and masks unearthed from Sanxingdui are unique, there are also containers such as copper statues and bronze Lei, which are also related to the Central Plains region.
Chen Kunlong believes that the biggest difference between the bronze artifacts unearthed in Sanxingdui and the Central Plains region is the composition of the artifacts. The composition of bronze ware in the Central Plains region mainly consists of containers and weapons, while the bronze ware unearthed in Sanxingdui is mainly ceremonial objects such as divine trees and masks.
There are also some differences in production technology and craftsmanship between the special shaped artifacts unearthed in Sanxingdui and bronze from the Central Plains region. Chen Kunlong introduced that these strangely shaped Sanxingdui bronze vessels adopt a technical concept of "simplifying complexity" in their production process.
For example, when casting complex objects with strange shapes like the Bronze Divine Tree, the craftsmen of Sanxingdui adopted a decomposition method, first casting in sections, and then assembling various components through casting, welding, and other methods.
On the bronze mask, the small square holes on the forehead of each mask may also be a unique assembly process here. If the small hole is processed in the later stage, this mechanical processing method of cutting and chiseling is relatively rare in the Central Plains region
In addition, the decoration on the surface of Sanxingdui bronze ware can be roughly divided into two categories in terms of morphology. Masks are all plain and without decorative patterns; containers are all adorned with decorative patterns. The surface decoration techniques of Sanxingdui bronze ware are also different from those in the Central Plains region
The innovation of Sanxingdui bronze technology, whether it is a transplant of technology or formed through time accumulation, still needs to wait for more information to provide evidence, "Chen Kunlong said.
Chen Kunlong always believed that the Sanxingdui bronze ware used bronze casting techniques from the Central Plains or the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and incorporated cultural elements from the Sanxingdui theocratic country, ultimately forming the bizarre Sanxingdui civilization that people have seen.
He said that the Sanxingdui bronze vessels demonstrated the uniqueness of their civilization, and the society at that time had a strong openness. In this context, thanks to the political and technological approaches of the late Shang Dynasty, the Sanxingdui civilization had exchanges with the Central Plains civilization, forming a unique case in the process of diversified and integrated formation of Chinese civilization.
How should people understand the uniqueness of Sanxingdui bronze ware? Chen Kunlong said that how to realize the localization production technology of Sanxingdui bronze ware is a problem that future scholars need to pay attention to. From the perspective of technological logic, it can still be seen that there are many original technological development roots hidden behind the Sanxingdui, and the craftsmen of Sanxingdui have fully utilized them.
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